Boat Capsizing Near Phu Quoc Island Kills 15 Indian Tourists

A speedboat operated by the Ocean Pear Island Company capsized near Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam, on July 11, 2026, killing 15 Indian nationals. The vessel was transporting 36 people—including 32 Indian tourists, three crew members, and one guide—from Hon May Rut Islet to An Thoi Port when it overturned approximately 400 meters from shore. Rough sea conditions and high waves were cited as the primary causes of the accident.

Of the 15 deceased, 13 were men and two were women. The victims included 10 residents of Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh, and two from Kerala. Twenty-one people survived, though two remained in critical condition. The tourists were part of an incentive trip organized by the handset maker Lava for its channel partners and staff. In response, the Indian Embassy in Vietnam established emergency response centers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to coordinate with Vietnamese authorities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar expressed condolences, while Vietnamese President To Lam and Prime Minister Le Minh Hung sent sympathy messages to Indian leadership. The Government of Vietnam launched an investigation and detained a 57-year-old local man for legal violations related to the capsize. The boat owner agreed to pay $1,000 per fatality and $500 per injured person, with additional government support of $1,000 per death. The Indian Embassy and Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu coordinated the repatriation of the deceased from Ho Chi Minh City to India.